An Post Price Rises

I posted a congratulations card to my granddaughter after her 8-12 yo cheerleading team won a prize at a recent competition. I know, I know, don't tell me, now its an Olympic sport!

€1.65 for the stamp, nearly as dear as the card itself.

This rise in stamp prices is apparently to compensate An Post for the drop in postal volumes. Simple-minded me thinks the effect will be to further reduce the volumes, with another consequential rise, etc. Sustainable? I don't think so, not one little bit.

What's the answer here? Privatisation a la Maggie?

Yip - seems to be counter productive ...

BUT, I'm in awe of the fact that you could get a card for just over the price of a stamp ! I'm shocked / annoyed at the price of cards in some shops.

Interesting price comparison between a stamp (as payment for a service) and a greeting card.

Two printed items is about where the comparison stops.

The cost of producing greeting cards are low, their price high and the retail margins extremely high.

The cost of printing stamps is also low, the cost of processing and delivering mail is high with An Post operating on a shockingly low 4% margin on delivery of mail.

Yet people complain about the price postage? Send a greeting card by DHL if you think An Post is expensive

Yeah, but that's €1.65 from €1.20 in the not-too-distant past.

I've seen greeting cards for as much as €7/€8, rather extravagant for a child. The card itself was from Mr Price as I recall, purchased in desperation as it just said "Congratulations" on the front with no qualification regarding the occasion - no baby, job, engagement, or divorce printed and no message inside, just a blank page, ideal for personalisation.

I have a couple of little label printers that can do fancy insides for blank cards and a range of type-faces to jazz them up. €1.99 for the card I think, and about €30 for the BlueTooth printer from Amazon, Nelko PM220. I needed one as holding a pen and writing are both difficult these days. Take the little printer and my phone to the Post Office and the job is Oxo, address and greeting legible for all.